9:06 AM.Marking the upcoming earthquake anniversary in Christchurch; right of reply on The Panel; newspaper stories with overhyped headlines; a controversial contest backfies on radio - but not really. Audio

Insight investigates how Christchurch and its people are coping after the devastating earthquake which hit the city almost one year ago.
Written and presented by Rachel Graham and Bridget Mills.
Produced by Philippa Tolley.

8:40 Michael Hurst – To be or not to be, and other FAQs

In Frequently Asked Questions, Kiwi actor Michael Hurst plays an insomniac Hamlet who is doing some serious soul-searching. “What piece of work is a man” and “to be, or not to be” are some of the FAQ’s and Hamlet won’t sleep till he has some answers. Michael collaborated with writers Natalie Medlock and Dan Musgrove to develop this semi-autobiographical work, which also features cameos from some of Shakespeare’s greatest characters.
Frequently Asked Questions opens at the NZ International Arts Festival in Wellington on March 2.

Mediawatch goes to Christchurch to ask how the media will be marking the upcoming anniversary of the February 22 earthquake, which will be a media event whether people there like it or not. Mediawatch also looks at newspaper stories which didn’t quite live up to the hype in their headlines; and a controversial competition on the radio which backfired – or did it?
Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.

9:40 Leah Armstrong – Australia’s First Peoples

Constitutional change in on the agenda in Australia following last month’s report by the Prime Minister’s Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The panel recommended the constitution be amended to formally recognise their culture, language and heritage. This week, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that Reconciliation Australia will lead the campaign to promote the changes. Chris talks to Leah Armstrong, CEO of Reconciliation Australia, about the task ahead.

10:06 Michael Morpurgo – Unlocking Imagination

At the “wrong side of 68”, Michael Morpurgo is enjoying huge success. The Spielberg film War Horse, based on Michael’s book of the same name, is a huge success and now a stage version of his novel, Private Peaceful, is featuring at the NZ International Arts Festival. It’s a story inspired by Michael’s visit to a war museum and his discovery of how many young soldiers were court-martialed and shot for cowardice during the First World War. He talks to Chris about his work, inspiration, writing books that children read, and unlocking young imaginations.
Private Peaceful opens NZ International Arts Festival in Wellington next month. It also plays in Lower Hutt on March 10 and Greytown on March 12 as part of the festival’s Art on the Move programme.

10.40 Notes from the South with Dougal Stevenson

Marking 200 years since the birth of Charles Dickens, Dougal reveals Dicken’s link to Dunedin – thanks the great philanthropist and publisher AH Reed.

Military contracting is now a $100 billion industry employing former soldiers from throughout the world. Despite the number of contractors killed in Afghanistan surpassing military fatalities for the first time last year, it is an industry that remains largely in the shadows with little or no regulation. Jeremy Rose talks to a former New Zealand soldier who has worked as a contractor in Iraq; and Chris Laidlaw talks to former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Use of Mercenaries, Shaista Shameem; and Laura Raymond the advocacy programme manager at the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York – an organisation campaigning to have military contractors held accountable for war crimes.
Presented by Chris Laidlaw
Produced by Jeremy Rose